20 Va. Admin. Code § 5-342-70

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 22, June 17, 2024

Section 20VAC5-342-70 - Disputes

A. The parties agree to resolve all disputes arising out of the shared solar program process according to the provisions of this section.

B. A subscriber organization shall establish an explicit dispute resolution procedure that identifies clearly the process that shall be followed when resolving customer disputes. A copy of such dispute resolution procedure shall be provided to a customer or the commission upon request.

C. If the dispute remains unresolved, either party may petition the commission to handle the dispute as a formal complaint or may exercise whatever rights and remedies it may have in equity or law.

D. A subscriber organization shall furnish to customers an address and telephone number for customer inquiries and complaints regarding services provided by the subscriber organization. The telephone number shall be stated on all customer-billing statements and shall provide customers the opportunity to speak to a customer representative during normal business hours. Outside of normal business hours, a recorded message shall direct customers how to obtain customer assistance.

E. A subscriber organization shall immediately direct a customer to contact the utility if the customer has a service emergency. Such direction may be given either by a customer service representative or by a recorded message on its telephone number.

F. A subscriber organization shall retain customer billing and account records and complaint records for at least three years and provide copies of such records to a customer or the commission upon request.

G. In the event that a customer has been referred to the utility by a subscriber organization, or to a subscriber organization by the utility, for response to an inquiry or a complaint, the party that is contacted second shall (i) resolve the inquiry or complaint in a timely fashion, or (ii) contact the other party to determine responsibility for resolving the inquiry or complaint.

H. In the event a subscriber organization and customer cannot resolve a dispute, the subscriber organization shall provide the customer with the toll-free number and address of the commission.

20 Va. Admin. Code § 5-342-70

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 37, Issue 11, eff. 1/1/2021.

Statutory Authority: § 12.1-13 and 56-585.1:12 of the Code of Virginia.